


New rules

by bettyparker



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 10:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12909684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bettyparker/pseuds/bettyparker
Summary: A one shot inspired by the song New Rules-Dua Lipa.Stiles and Derek are friends with benefits. No big deal, right? Well, it wouldn't be if Stiles weren't in love with Derek.





	New rules

Stiles doesn’t know how he always ends up in Derek’s bed. No, actually he does know. They started a friends with benefits kind of thing a while ago. Stiles should’ve known he couldn’t last. It was in his nature to care and it didn’t help that he had a crush on Derek to start with. But Stiles was never known to make the best decisions so when Derek made the proposition Stiles agreed. It was all good, Derek called him sometimes when he was drunk or in need of a friend and Stiles went to help him only to end up in bed with him. They didn’t talk about it in the morning as Stiles simply put his clothes on and left while Derek shuffled around in the kitchen.

The pack was weird about the issue. They didn’t figure it out in the beginning. Stiles was getting better and better with his spark and it wasn’t that hard to mask the scent. They didn’t find it weird that Stiles was at the loft often because he usually spent time there. But Lydia was smarter than that. She figured it out and called him stupid. Stiles was inclined to agree.

“I just don’t understand, Stiles. Why would you do that?”

Stiles looked away. He didn’t know the answer himself. But now it was too late, he was in too deep. He was in love with Derek Hale. And Derek Hale didn’t love him back. Something flashed in Lydia’s eyes and she looked at him with pity.

“You love him, don’t you?”

Stiles flinches and started shaking his head. He never admitted it out loud. Because if he did, it would become real and he was not ready for it.

“No, I don’t.”

Lydia watched him with pity and Stiles clenched his jaw.

“Stiles, I knew that you loved him, you would have to be blind not to see it. But you can’t keep doing this, you have to tell him.”

Truth was, Stiles wasn’t ready to let whatever they had go. Because there was a side of Derek that he got to see sometimes and it made the hurt worth it. Derek made him feel cherished, worth it. And sometimes he would look at Stiles in a certain way that Stiles actually let himself fantasize that Derek might just love him back. But it was just a fantasy.

“He doesn’t love me, Lydia. I won’t ruin everything because of some stupid feelings. I’ll get over it.”

It was a lie. They both knew. It had taken Stiles years to get over his crush on Lydia. There was no way he was getting over Derek that easy. Lydia didn’t call him out on it. Instead she hugged him tight and they watched rom-coms all night.

It went the same for the new month or so. Lydia was always there to listen to Stiles when he needed. She always suggested that he should finish it but he refused. He tried to resist at some point, sick and tired of feeling so down after but in the end Derek ended up at his door and he could never say no to Derek. He was gone by the time Stiles woke up. Lydia didn’t say anything when he called her. She just showed up with ice cream and they watched Netflix.

Three days after the incident they had a pack meeting. Derek was his usual stoic self, only nodding in Stiles’s direction when he arrived. He tried to ignore the ache in his chest as he sat next to Lydia. It went as usual until they started discussing the pack bonding activities. At Stiles’s suggestion Derek agreed that they could go away for a few days and camp out somewhere out of Beacon Hills. The pack was surprised but thrilled. They started to discuss detail when Erica smirked at Stiles and Derek who were arguing about who should stay with who.

“So, Derek, I assume you’ll be sharing a tent with Stiles? Since he’s your boyfriend and everything.”

Stiles vaguely saw Lydia turn to look at them but his attention was only on Derek. He tensed up and Stiles could see him clench his fists. He looked angry. He turned to Erica, eyes bright red, and growled.

“He is not my boyfriend!”

It felt like a physical blow. Stiles flinched and took an involuntary step back. He made sure his magical shields were up so no one could sense his distress but by the look on Scott’s face, they could pick up on it anyway. Something snapped inside Stiles and the light flickered for a second before he shook his head. By now Derek was watching him with something Stiles didn’t want to decipher. He didn’t need pity.

“Stiles?” Scott’s voice was hesitant, Stiles wanted to cry. “Are you okay?”

_No._ “Yes, of course, buddy.” He plastered on a fake smile and stepped further away. “I just remembered that I should leave. I have to make dinner for my dad and the meeting ran longer than I thought. I’m sure you guys can figure out the rest on your own. Text me the details.”

With that Stiles grabbed his backpack and ran out of the loft. He heard someone screaming after him but he didn’t stop. He got in his jeep and drove home as fast as he could. His dad was working a double shift, so Stiles was all alone. It was good.

 When he got to his room Stiles was strangely calm. He sat on his bed and thought about everything. He had no right to react the way he did. Derek didn’t love him, Stiles wasn’t his boyfriend. But it hurt. And as he thought about all the times he left everything and ran to him he realized how foolish he had been. It was his fault for getting attached. His fault for always going back to Derek, despite knowing that he’ll never love Stiles.

Stiles grabbed a piece of paper and a pen decided that he was going to get over Derek Hale. And for that he needed rules.

_How to get over Derek Hale_

  1. _Stop answering when he calls late at night._
  2. _Don’t let him come to the house and don’t go to the loft late_
  3. _Stop helping him when he’s lonely_
  4. _DO NOT under any circumstance sleep with him again_
  5. _Remember that he doesn’t love you back_



He taped the list on the wall where he could always see it and grabbed his phone.

_I wanna terminate our arrangement._

He hesitated for a second. He thought about all those little private smiles only Stiles got to see and the sweet moments between them but they were over shadowed by the memory of Derek shouting at Erica, as if he was repulsed by the mere idea. He pressed send and turned off  his phone. He wanted to hate Derek but he couldn’t hate him just because he didn’t love Stiles. He could get over Derek Hale, he had to.

The next day was a Saturday. Stiles grumpily got up and went to make himself breakfast. After eating and showering he finally turned on his phone. He had messages from Lydia and Scott, mostly asking if he was okay. He quickly assured them that he was going to be just fine. Then he saw that he had 15 missed calls from Derek and some messages.

_Why?_

_Stiles, did I do something?_

_Please just call me._

Stiles didn’t read the rest. He deleted the messages and didn’t listen to the voicemails Derek left him. Surely he could find someone else to warm his bed. He was not going to be weak anymore. Yes, he loved Derek, but it was time to move on. He looked at the list on the wall and put his phone away. He could do it.

Later that day Scott came over. He looked concerned and Stiles felt bad that he didn’t tell him but he didn’t know exactly how to. So they went to his room and after a few minutes in silence Stiles realized that the list was in plain sight. Scott looked at it for a few seconds and then he turned his worried gaze on Stiles.

“What happened between you and Derek?”

Stiles could have lied but Scott had seen the list and besides, he didn’t want to lie to his best friend. So he told him everything. And Scott listened and never interrupted him. When Stiles was done Scott was silent but Stiles could tell he was thinking about something.

“What makes you so sure he doesn’t love you back?” Stiles opened his mouth to protest but Scott raised his hand to stop him. “No, just hear me out. He’s different around you. He always worries about you, he listens to you and he looks at you like you hung the moon. I don’t know why he reacted like that last night, but have you considered actually telling him how you feel?”

“He never stays, Scott. We never talk about it after. He only calls me when he’s drunk or lonely. I’m pretty sure he’s just too nice to kick me out of the loft after. It’s fine, really.” At Scott’s pointed look, he amends. “Well, maybe it isn’t, but I knew what I was getting myself into. It’s not his fault that I fell for him. But trust me, I know him and he doesn’t love me”

_After all, why would he love skinny little pathetic Stiles?_

“Look, I’m here for you. Whatever you need. But I still think you should talk to him about it.”

“Thanks Scotty.”

They play video games the rest of the day. Scott doesn’t bring him up again, not even when Derek keeps calling. He does give Stiles a raised eyebrow when the phone rings for the fifth time, but Stiles just gives him a shove and Scott sighs before getting up and turning off the phone. Stiles is grateful. He doesn’t want to see the messages and he doesn’t want to think about it anymore. And if he cries a little, Scott doesn’t say anything, he just hugs Stiles tight and lets him cry on his shoulder.

As it turns out, the first time Stiles sees Derek is four days later, when they go after some feral omega. The girl killed three people and when they find her in the preserve Stiles realizes that there’s barely any humanity left in her. They try to reason with her but she’s too far gone. She charges at them and Stiles gathers some magic and tries to restrain her. It doesn’t work and the omega lounges at him. Stiles watches in slow motion as Derek jumps in front of him and the omega sinks her claws in his chest. Stiles sees her dragging her claws down, cutting Derek deep. It makes Stiles so angry that he attacks without thinking, knocking her out. Stiles hurries to Derek’s side and winces at the deep wound. Derek is on the edge of unconsciousness and Stiles works on autopilot. He tells Scott to help him carry Derek to the jeep, while Erica, Isaac and Boyd take the omega to Deaton. They manage to get Derek in the backseat and Stiles gets in with him, cradling his head in his lap. He hands the keys to Scott who hurries to the driver seat. When Scott starts the jeep, Stiles turns his attention back to Derek and notices that his eyes are closed. Stiles swears before slapping Derek gently, making his eyes open sluggishly.

“You have to stay awake, Sourwolf. She got you pretty good so you gotta hang on a bit, okay?”

Derek tries to say something but it’s too incoherent for Stiles to understand. They reach the loft and they carry Derek to his room after deeming the couch too small. Stiles sends Scott to bring him the first aid kit and rips apart Derek’s shirt. The wound is still bleeding and Stiles starts panicking. He snatches the kit from Scott and wipes the wound clean before focussing his magic on healing the wound. By the time he’s sure Derek will heal, the wound looks better and Stiles is exhausted. Magic always takes a lot out of him. He falls asleep next to Derek.

When Stiles comes back to consciousness his muscles ache and his mind is foggy. He sits up abruptly as the events from last night come back to him. Derek is already awake and the wound is almost completely healed. Stiles sighs relieved that he’s okay until he remembers where he is and jumps away from Derek.

“Stiles..”

“Looks like you’re okay now, so I’ll just leave.”

As Stiles starts to get up Derek grabs his wrist and Stiles freezes. He should make himself leave but as he takes one look at Derek and sees the desperation in his eyes, his resolution dissolves.

“Don’t go. Please. We need to talk, Stiles.”

Stiles can’t help but laugh bitterly. He’s been avoiding Derek for so long, trying to save whatever friendship they could still have. But here they were, and Stiles was sure that it will all be ruined after Derek realizes that Stiles is in love with him. Stiles doesn’t leave though. He’s too tired.

“Oh, so now you want to talk? Cause you seemed pretty set on not talking about it before.”

Derek flinches but he doesn’t let go of him. “Stiles, please. Just tell me why…”

Stiles could leave. He doesn’t owe Derek anything. But Derek looks so small and lost that Stiles can’t hide it anymore.

“You want to know why? Okay fine I’ll tell you why. I fell for you. Well, to tell the truth, I think I was always a little in love with you, so when you came with the idea I agreed. Because I knew that you’d never love me the way I love you, but at least like this I got to have you for a little bit.”

Derek is watching him stunned, the grip on his hand loosening. Stiles snatches his hand away and gets off the bed. He’s ruined it now, no need to stay around and listen to Derek rejecting him. He’s almost at the door when he feels arms wrapping around his waist. Stiles freezes.

“You’re wrong…How could you ever think that I didn’t love you?”

“W-what?”

Derek loosens his grip just enough for Stiles to turn around at face him. Whatever shred of sanity Stiles had goes out the window at the raw emotion in Derek’s eyes. He doesn’t understand.

“I thought you only wanted sex. I didn’t want to hope that you could love me. I’m broken, Stiles. I wanted to tell you so many times. But I was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same, so I kept my mouth shut. I was happy with whatever you would give me.”

And Stiles doesn’t need werewolf hearing to know that it’s not a lie. But he can’t believe that it’s happening.

“B-but, when Erica-“

Derek looks away as if embarrassed.

“Whatever we had, I had to tell myself that it was okay. When she said that you were my boyfriend, it made me angry because I thought I’d never get to have you like that.”

And suddenly the whole situation shifts and Stiles looks back on it in a different light. All those times Derek watched him it was with love. Stiles can’t help it. He starts laughing and Derek blinks startled at the sudden change.

“We’re a bunch of idiots.”

Derek smiles softly, and Stiles can’t help it. He kisses him. Because he spent so much time trying to get over Derek, trying to give him up and here Derek was, as in love with Stiles as he was with Derek. When they break apart Derek’s still holding onto Stiles’s waist, a dreamy look on his face.

“You’ll stay?”

Stiles smiles and thinks that Derek is the most adorable human being. Well, uhh werewolf.

“I’ll always stay, Sourwolf. Ain’t getting rid of me now.”

“Hmm, good cause I have another proposition for you.”

They settle on the bed and Stiles quirks an eyebrow at him.

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

This time they both laugh because it’s been such a long time coming. Stiles leans down and kisses Derek softly.

“Why, Derek, I thought you’d never ask.”

As they cuddle together Stiles thinks about the list he made, that’s still on his wall and promises himself to burn it as soon as possible. It wasn’t good for anything anyway since he’s in Derek Hale’s bed again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I've been listening to a cover of this song and this happened. Hope you enjoyed it. Here's my tumblr, you can message me or give me prompts. http://bettypeace.tumblr.com/


End file.
